Dump bottom car



May 23? m3@ H. w. SANFORU DUMP BOTTOM CAR Filed March 5, 1937 Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUlVIP BOTTOM CAR This invention relates to improvements in dump bottom cars, and is more particularly concerned with a construction of the doors in such a manner that an interlocking or latching effect is produced therebetween. In several of the inventors prior patents, dump bottom cars have been illustrated, in which a bottom opening is closed by a plurality of ldoors, each of which is pivotally mounted adjacent its forward edge and is so constructed and arranged that the door can extend rearwardly from such pivot in the closed position and be interengaged with door parts of the next-rearward door, and in which the extreme rearward door of the car is supported at its free edge by some latching means. In such arrangements, the unlatching of the extreme rearward door causes a successive release, so that all doors are permitted to drop.

The present invention provides a construction of such doors for interlocking and latching, and by which a rearward door is substantially free to turn about its axis without displacement or lifting of any lading which may be resting upon the next-forward door, whereby a more facile release is accomplished and there is less difficulty of blocking at the moment of release of such forward door; the interlocking or latching structures being constructed and arranged for providing an adequate horizontal lap of their parts to assure continued effective operation under conditions of service.

Another feature of the present invention concerns a particular construction of bottom dump doors with respect to the pivotal mounting thereof, whereby such doors may be easily separated for inspection and repair thereof, or for the inspection and repair of other portions of the vehicle.

Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of door constructions for interlocking or latching in respect to one another, in which each door is substantially free to turn about its axis without displacement or lifting of any lading which may be resting upon the nextforward door, in order to obtain an immediate release of the successive doors, in conjunction with a construction and arrangement of the interlocking or latching equipments which tend to become more effectively engaged if the next-forward door sags or otherwise becomes relatively shortened in effective length.

With these and other features as objects in View, illustrative forms of practicing the present invention are shown on the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l shows an embodiment of the invention as applied illustratively to a mine car, and comprises an upright longitudinal section through a conventionalize-d form of such a general car d, Knoxville, Tenn.

1937, Serial No. 129,505

structure, with the present invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a detail drawing, on a larger scale, showing the pivot arrangement for one door, and its interlocking arrangement with adjacent parts of the next-forward door.

Figure 3 is a top plan View showing portions of two adjacent doors, the doors being separated to indicate the relationship of cooperating parts.

In the drawing, Fig. l shows the conventionalized arrangement of a mine car which moves on the rails R, having the usual flanged wheels W for this purpose, these wheels being mounted on the transverse axles A. These axles are in supporting relation to side sills S to which are joined end structures E- and plates forming side and end walls X. ',Ihesel upper walls serve to clear the lading during dumping, and cause all of the lading to move through the open bottom space.

This bottom space is closed by three doors DI, D2, D3, each of which is pivotally mounted adjacent its forward end. The door DI is mounted on pivot means I0 located adjacent the front end wall of the car, while the doors D2, D3 are mounted for pivotal movement about the axes of the axles A.

A conventionalized latch L is illustrated at the rear end of the car for engagement with the rear or free edge of the extreme rearward door D3, and it will be understood that this latch is automatically positioned for engaging the door D3, upon automatic closing of the door, and thereafter serves for holding the door in closed position until the latch L has been operated to release this door again.

The doors D2 and D3 may be constructed substantially identically in form at their forward or pivotal edges. Thus, the door is provided with a downwardly and rearwardly curled front edge I I, the extreme edge being turned backwardly as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing. The curl I I has the form of a circular arc at each section thereof taken transversely to the axis of the axle A, so that the door, in rocking about this axis, has a relative sliding movement with respect to adjacent lading, but does not tend to press this lading away from the axis nor to permit it to move inwardly to any considerable extent, until unlatching has occurred, because of the concentricity of said door edge portion with the respective axle A.

The actual bearing of the doors upon the axles A is provided by cast iron fillers I2 which are formed as semi-circular shells in section, with an outer arcuate periphery conforming to the inner surface of the curl II, and an inner periphery conforming to the outer surface of the axle A. These llers I2 are secured rigidly to the door by rivets I3. In order to secure the door on the axle, so that it will not be accidentally outwardly from the axle so as to provide a void between it and the adjacent portion of said axle.

The extreme or free edge of the next-forward I door is provided adjacent its rear edge with'an aperture |611 which raises the hook extension or distal terminal IIb. The aligning relation of the extensions IIb and the apertures I6b is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing.

In operation, the doors are closed and latched, and the vehicle is lled with the material. to be transported. It is then drawn to a point of discharge, and the latch L actuated for release. The extreme rearward door D3 then swings downward about the pivot axis adjacent its forward edge and releases the lading thereabove. During this movement, the circular or concentric section of the curl II permits the door to turn freely without any restriction being placed upon it by the necessity of forcing its way through such lading as may be present upon the next-forward door D2 at points adjacent the free edge thereof. Hence a movement of this rear door D3 through an angle of, say 26 degrees in this particular form, causes the extensions IIb to be withdrawn from the receiving apertures, and thereby the next-forward door D2 is in turn released for opening. In turn, the swinging movement of the door D2 accomplishes a similar release of the forward door DI. Hence by the usual provision of an automatic actuator for releasing the latch L, the doors are quickly released, so that the car is .discharged rapidly. Thereafter, the car may be drawn forward over a closing rail CR (Fig. 1), so that the doors are successively engaged and lifted to closed position, the rail being effective, for example, for holding the door DI in proper position while the door D2 is being raised'in a clockwise direction about its axis. Ultimately, the extensions I Ib of the door D2 are again introduced into receiving apertures I Bb in the door DI a corresponding action being then accomplished for the doors D2 and D3; and finally the raising of the door D3 results in an automatic engagement of the latch L for holding the parts for a further loading operation.

It will be observed that any tendency of a forward door DI or D2 to become relatively shortcned, as by sagging at its center, does not result in disengagement of the structures, but in effect may result in a more secure interlocking of the parts.

Thus, in the new design, the sealing of two adjacent doors is accomplished by the forward door extending underneath the rearward door so that part of the rearward door is forward of the upright plane of the rear edge of the forward door: and the rear edge of the forward door is at a lower level than the horizontal plane of the wheel axis, so that the points of latching contact of the two doors are below this horizontal plane. Therefore, these latching points are so located that the lading cannot interfere with or disturb the latching. Furthermore, this engagement occurs directly below the axle itself, so that the least lthe parts.

possible rocking movement of a door is sumcient to disengage the doors from their horizontal overlap: and also the protection of the interengaging door securing means is additionally assured by locating them above the horizontal plane of the lower portions of the side sills, so that derailment does not cause great strains upon This permits a maximum eciency in protection and operation, and the maximum utilization of space for thev pay-load or lading.

It is obvious that the forms of construction shown are illustrative only, and that the invention may be practiced in many ways within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Y I claim:

1. In a bottom dump structure having a'discharge opening, doors to close said opening and a pivot memberspanning one of the doors adjacent said opening; one of said doors being detachably engageable with the companion door and having an arcuate portion disposed concentric with the pivot member, filler means with, in and secured to said arcuate portion engaging the member to an extent substantially greater than to retain the door on said pivot memmember, and the structure being void from the 'l distal terminal to the adjacent portion of the p-ivot member at said transverse plane to enable the detachably engaged part of the companion door to move the maximum distance toward said n pivot member.

2. In a bottom dump structure having a dis-v charge opening, doors to close said opening and a pivot member spanning one of the doors adjacent said opening; one of said doors being detachably engageable with the companion door and having an arcuate portion disposed concentric with the pivot member, a filler portion within and Ysecured to said arcuate portion engaging the pivot member to an extent substantially greater than 180 to retain. the door on said pivot member, one of said portions having a distal terminal extending beyond the other portion, both of said portions occupying the same plane transverse to the'axis of said pivot member, and the structure being void from the distal terminal to the adjacent portion of the pivot member at said transverse plane to enable a part of the other door detachably engaged therewith to move the maximum distance toward the pivot member.

3. In a bottom dump structure having a discharge opening, doors to close said opening and a pivot memberspanning one of the doors adjacent said opening; one of said doors being detachably engageable with the companion door and having an arcuate portion disposed concentric with the pivot member, filler means within and secured to said arcuate portion engaging the member to an extent substantially greater than 180 to retain the door on said pivot member,v the filler means including an integral distal terminal extending beyond and in the general .direction of projection of the arcuate portion and spaced outwardly from the pivot member to provide a void between the distal terminal and the adjacent portion of the pivot member and enable the detachably engaged part of the companion door to move the maximum distance toward said pivot member. HUGH W. SANFORD. 

